


Happy Little Accidents

by HollowHearted



Category: The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types, The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: Alpha Thomas, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe - High School, Falling In Love, M/M, Mpreg, Omega Newt, Pregnant Newt, Slow To Update, Teen Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-23
Updated: 2018-06-28
Packaged: 2019-03-19 08:14:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13700478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HollowHearted/pseuds/HollowHearted
Summary: When an omega comes up to Thomas with an impossible claim, it changes Thomas's life...in the best way imaginable.





	1. Reveal

I had noticed the tiny omega before. Mainly because he always looked sad, exhausted, and scared all the time. Everyone in the school had noticed the bruises and occasional black eye, the limp, and the way he winced in pain when he thought no one was looking. He was whispered about constantly. Most of the alphas thought he had an alpha in secret who liked it rough. I avoided conversations about him and let the boy go about his life. Some of the other alphas picked on him, calling him out on his bruises and the fact that he looked young for his age. 

Today, though, he looked even worse than usual. There were cuts on his cheeks, his eyes were red-rimmed, and he seemed to be trembling. Even more peculiar, he came up to my lunch table, looking directly at me.

"Can I talk to you, please?" he asked softly. Another thing the other alphas teased him about was his accent. I didn't think there was anything wrong with having an accent, and now that I heard it, I liked it. 

"Yeah, sure," I replied. 

He looked cautiously at my friends. "Privately, please?" 

I wanted to smack myself. Of course he'd meant privately. "Yeah, sorry." 

I stood up and followed him to an unoccupied corner of the room. He stopped and turned to face me. I'd never seen someone look more afraid in my life. It worried me. He took a deep breath, quivering. 

"I'm...I'm pregnant. With your child," he said shakily. 

I frowned. "Look, I'm sorry, but that's impossible." It was. I was a total virgin. I'd never had a conversation with this boy before, let alone had sex with him.

He looked frantic. "No, please, I'm not lying. I--"

"--I'm sorry, but it's not mine. Please don't argue with me." 

I was upset at being accused of impregnating an omega. As if I would do such a thing. I turned and went back to my table, ignoring his initial plea to come back. It was a lie, and although I did feel bad for the omega, I didn't appreciate being pulled into this. I wondered if the real father had left him and he was trying to latch onto someone. Not me. I sat down with a huff, still angry.

"What'd he want?" Minho asked.

"Nothing important. Really."

"Hey, Thomas, don't shrug it off like that. Where'd he go, anyway?" 

I looked around but didn't see him anywhere. "I dunno. Why does it matter?"

"Because he shucking walked up to you and asked to speak with you in private. Seriously, the only person he ever talks to is that shank Alby." 

"Look, Minho, I don't want to talk about it," I snapped. "It was stupid and I'd rather forget all about it."

"Whatever. That was some party at Ben's, wasn't it?" 

He and my other friends started discussing the party. Again. It had been nearly three weeks, but they still talked about it constantly. There had been more alcohol available at this party than any other this year, and everyone had gotten completely wasted, myself included, which made for a very interesting night, according to many. I couldn't remember much, to be honest. 

"I still wonder who it was in that bedroom. They were shucking loud!" Minho said. 

Apparently, some drunk couple had gotten it on in the early hours of the morning and some sick shanks listened in. By some sick shanks I mean Minho, Gally, and Winston. 

I tuned out the discussion, waiting for the bell. I was irritated and tired. I wanted to get back to class where I didn't have to put up with the telling and retelling of the tale of the stupid party. When it finally rang I was out the door in a flash. My next class was history. It wasn't my favorite subject, but it wasn't my least favorite, either. 

I didn't see the little omega again all day, which suited me just fine. I couldn't help thinking about him, though, and I had the strangest feeling. I couldn't figure it out.

I had a weird dream that night, too. It was all out of focus, but I could smell the most lovely scent. It was like...white chocolate. White chocolate had the loveliest smell, and was secretly my favorite scent. And there was a figure in the dream, one I couldn't make out, but I seemed drawn to them. I couldn't remember anything else when I woke up.

The omega avoided me like the plague. I saw him coming toward me in the hall and he intentionally moved to the other side, getting mixed up in a crowd of alphas. He was about to line up right behind me for lunch, but went over to an empty table and sat down until there were at least ten people behind me before getting in line. He looked like he hadn't slept all night. I felt kinda bad for him. His situation wasn't exactly an easy one. According to the cloud of gossip that surrounded him, his one friend, Alby, wasn't speaking to him anymore.

I had the same dream that night, only this time Minho's words were thrown in. Something about the couple in the upstairs bedroom. The white chocolate scent was stronger the closer I got to the figure, and I wondered if the scent came from the person, whoever they were. There was a sensation of pleasure that I didn't understand, and then I woke up. 

I listened more carefully to Minho's recollection of the party that day, while Little Omega avoided me again. 

A few days later the dream was a little different. I felt as though I were touching skin, and the white chocolate scent was all around me, almost overwhelming. And then, the final piece in the puzzle, a disembodied, accented voice moaned my name. 

I woke up, shocked. He hadn't been lying. This dream was a _memory_. We'd met at the foot of the stairs and by some unspoken agreement we'd gone up together. _We_ were Minho's loud couple. I couldn't remember anything after we started upstairs, but I could guess. I glanced at the clock. 4:52. I got up and took a long shower to clear my thoughts. 

Little Omega and I had had sex at that party and Little Omega was pregnant. With my kid. I had to do the right thing by him, and that was to take responsibility for what I'd done and look after the poor boy. 

I looked for him before school started, but didn't see him. At lunch, I stayed in the hallway to monitor the door. I was sure to see him this way, and maybe he's talk to me. I heard a commotion to the right and looked that way. There he was, getting knocked about a bit by some of the alphas who regularly picked on him. I was suddenly angry, and stormed down the hall. 

By the time I got there they'd stopped and moved on, but he still half-huddled against the wall, shaking, while his arms were crossed over his stomach, instinct telling him to protect his unborn child. 

I gently lay a hand on his shoulder and he flinched with a frightened gasp before pulling away and fleeing down the hall. I stood there stunned for a second. By the time I shook off the surprise and tried to find him again, I couldn't. 

I looked for him after school with no luck. I barely slept that night, worrying about him.

The next day at lunch the situation repeated itself. This time I expected it and chased him until I cornered him in a classroom. He stood in the corner, arms crossed over his stomach, breath quick and shallow from running, but also half-sobbing with his head down, eyes squeezed shut.

"It's me, easy now," I said. "I'm not going to hurt you, little omega. It's okay."

He looked up at me, terror evident in his expression. One eye was bruised and swollen, there was another bruise on his jaw, and several lacerations on his cheekbones. I felt terrible for him and furious at whoever had done this to him. Poor little thing.

I felt my expression soften when his eyes filled with tears. I walked up to him as calmly as I could, doing my best to ignore the whimper, and hugged him, gently, holding his head against my shoulder. He was so small. How could anyone hurt him? My little omega.

"I'm so sorry I did this to you. I didn't remember before, but I do now. I'll take care of you, I promise. I'll take good care of you. I'm so sorry I left you before. I won't ever leave you again."

He pulled away from me, tears slipping from soft brown eyes. "I--" He broke off with a sob. I pet his hair and kept one hand on his shoulder, just letting it rest there.

"Shh, I'm here. It's okay now. I'm going to look after you."

"I don't want to abort," he choked out. 

"No, no, never. Don't worry. You don't have to do that. I've got you now. You're safe."

"You'll really look after me? You really want the baby?" He looked up at me with those teary brown eyes, now full of hope. I felt any negative feelings regarding the situation I found myself in vanish. All I wanted to do now was help him. 

"Yes, I do, and I'll look after you. I promise. I won't ever leave you again, unless you want me to."

He wrapped his arms around me and leaned his head against my shoulder, breaths shallow and shaky. His body was trembling, and he seemed to sway slightly. I realized he must be completely worn out with worry. Now I had to ask one last question. 

"Who hurt you, little one?"

"It-it was my father. I thought he'd help me. I told him I was pregnant and he...he beat me. He does that a lot.'

I hated the man. Hated him violently. I'd break his neck if I ever saw him. Who _beat_ their pregnant child?

"You don't ever have to go back there, little one. You can live with me if you want. My parents will take good care of you, too. None of us will ever hurt you. Never. You'll be safe there."

"Can I?" he asked hopefully.

"Of course you can." I rubbed his back. He flinched. "Sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you, little one, honest I didn't. Are you okay?"

"You didn't hurt me, alpha." He hesitated. "I'm just...not used to being touched...kindly."

"You poor little thing. You can use my name alright?"

He pulled back again, looking embarrassed. "I don't know your name."

"It's okay. I don't know yours, either. I'm Thomas."

He chewed the inside of his lip for a second. "My name's Newt." He looked as if he were waiting for some sort of ridicule or even pain.

I tilted his head up and smiled. "Rhymes with 'cute.' I like it."

He blushed. "No one's ever said that they liked it."

"Well, I do. Come on, now, we'd better get you something to eat."

He paled. "I don't know if I can."

"Not feeling well?" He shook his head. "Oh...well, let's see what they have today. You might find a little something. You at least need something to drink. And then we're going to the school nurse to get these injuries looked at."

"No, please." He grabbed my sleeve. "I can't...I can't go to the nurse. It's hard enough to get my father to let me keep coming here. If he sees bandages or anything... My grades are slipping as it is, and now I'm pregnant. One more thing and he'll pull me out of school."

"Don't worry. I said I'd take care of you, remember?"

He reluctantly nodded. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me." 

We got our own table at lunch and although he seemed nervous he sat very close to me. I reached out and rubbed his arm or his shoulder every so often, which he seemed to appreciate, if the fact that he relaxed and gave me the tiniest of smiles when I did was anything to go by. We went to the nurse afterward and she gave him some ointment and antibiotics, but thankfully nothing needed to be stitched. She bandaged what she could and sent us on our way.

When we went home after school, he sat right beside me on the bus, looking scared. My friends gave us some weird looks and I glared at them. When we got off the bus at the end of my street Newt hesitantly took my hand. I interlocked out fingers. He looked at the houses with something akin to awe, and stopped when I started up the walk to my house. I looked at him. 

"You live here?" he said, barely above a whisper. I stepped closer to him and lay my hand on his shoulder.

"Yes. It's big and scary looking on the outside, but it's nice and cozy once you go in. It's alright, Newt."

"You deserve so much better than me," he said, tears gathering in his soft brown eyes.

"No, no, no. Don't think that way. It's alright, little one. I'm not angry about any of this anymore, and I'm sorry I was in the first place. I just want to look out for you. I'm going to make sure you're warm, clothed, fed, happy, and safe. I'm going to take care of you."

He hugged me, purring. I rubbed gentle circles on his back. Poor little thing. He was going to be treated properly now. I'd make absolutely sure of it. I'd teach those alphas at school a lesson they wouldn't easily forget. 

"I'm sorry. I've been getting all emotional lately." 

"It's fine, Newt. I understand. Let's get you inside now, it's getting cold."

When we got in the door he visibly relaxed. The house was comfortable looking rather than pristinely clean and giving off "don't touch" vibes. I started upstairs and Newt followed me a bit more slowly, taking everything in. I took him into my room. 

"You can leave your school stuff in here for now. The bathroom is through that door there, if you'd like to shower." I had planned to continue, but he lit up at that and I stopped. 

"May I?" he asked.

"Of course you can! This is your house, too, now." 

He had an odd expression. I hugged him again. He needed to be hugged and to have his hand held and be talked to kindly. Poor thing. I was glad this had happened. I could take care of him now. He would be safe.

"I'm going to go down and explain things to my parents. You can shower and come down when you like."

He looked nervous at the mention of my parents. I tilted his chin up delicately, minding the purple bruise. 

"They will love you, trust me. You're part of the family. None of us would ever hurt you." 

"I'm still an unwanted guest with an unpleasant surprise."

"No, you're not. You're my bondmate."

His eyes fluttered closed for a second, head hanging shamefully. "I-we-we're not bonded."

"We aren't?" I was surprised. I'd gotten him pregnant but not bonded with him? How was that possible?

He shook his head. "I went into heat at the party. Increased fertility and all that. No bond necessary." 

"Oh... How much do you remember?" 

"Not much. Seeing you, going upstairs, and after we...finished... I don't know why, but the heat broke a few minutes after you'd left. It shouldn't have. It should have been another four or five days."

"Hm. We should look into that. Even if you aren't my bondmate, I'm still going to look after you. I'd better go talk to Mom and Dad now, if you're okay here."

He nodded. "Thanks, Tommy." 

I couldn't help the grin. Tommy. It was precious. 

"I-sorry. Thomas."

"It's fine. You can call me Tommy if you want."

He smiled. A small smile, but not as sad as before. I was glad. I didn't want him to be sad. He went into the bathroom and I waited several minutes before going slowly downstairs, steeling myself. How was I supposed to go about this?

Mom and Dad were watching TV in the living room, judging by the sound of it. I waited another few minutes outside the door before taking the plunge.

"Hey, I need to talk to you guys. It's really important."

Mom turned off the TV. "What's wrong?"

I took a couple deep breaths. "I-There's an omega upstairs. I promised him we'd look after him and that he could stay here. His father beat him pretty badly and it's my fault because I...got him pregnant."

"You what?" Mom sounded furious.

"It was at a party. I was drunk and I never would've done it otherwise, but he's pregnant with my child and I'm going to take care of him."

"Damn right you are. I can't believe you, Thomas." Mom glared at me. 

"I know it was wrong of me, and I'm really sorry for it, but I have to make things right and the only way I can do that is by looking after him. I'm not letting him go back to his father. If I have to get a job and pay rent for my own apartment he's staying with me."

"Well at least you're trying to do the right thing. Have the two of you considered abortion?"

"That is not an option," I stated firmly. 

She sighed. It was a few minutes before she spoke again. "Thomas, is he even...respectable? I mean, he threw himself at you at a party."

That did it. "No he shucking didn't! He went into heat. He couldn't help it. I don't want to hear another shucking word against him! He's pregnant with my child, I'm taking him in, and that's all there is shucking to it!"

"Mind your language in this house!" Mom shouted.

"I will leave this shucking house if I have to! I'm not going to stay here and have you put him down all the time! He doesn't shucking need that right now! Or at all! And I don't either" 

"Enough!" Dad put in. "That's enough. Anthea, just calm down. Thomas, you and your omega are quite welcome here. I'm not happy with what you did, but I am happy you're owning up to it. Your mom won't say anything else against him, will you?"

She glared at me for a moment, then sighed and shook her head. 

We sat in uncomfortable silence until I heard a soft knock. I turned to see Newt nervously standing in the doorway. I stood up and started toward him.

"Oh," Mom said, coming over as well. She looked sympathetic, but I still didn't let her get too close to him. Her glance skimmed over all the injuries and I decided to tell her we'd gotten them looked at professionally.

"We went to the school nurse. She gave him some things for them. Newt, this is my mom, Anthea, and my dad, Richard. Mom and Dad, this is Newt." I put an arm around his waist, hopefully comforting him, and also showing my parents that I was possessive of him. Newt's hair was wet and he smelled so good. I wanted to nuzzle his neck and cuddle him. I assumed that was instincts, because I'd never felt that way before. We might not be bonded, but we clearly had some sort of connection, because my behavior was different, and I had no other explanation.

"Hello, sweetheart," Mom said. I looked at her searchingly. She didn't seem to be putting up a facade. I hoped she'd come round when she saw what Newt's father had done. 

Newt gave her a small, frightened smile. I noticed he was trembling a little. Dad stood up and walked over. Newt shrank back against me. Dad held a hand out. 

"Nice to meet you, Newt. You're quite welcome here, don't worry." 

Newt still looked scared, but he shook Dad's hand. I noticed how small his hands were. My tiny little omega. Yes, _my_ tiny little omega. I didn't care if we weren't bonded, he was still mine to look after.

"We'd best get started on our homework," I said as an excuse to get Newt out of there. I wasn't trying to overwhelm and scare him, and my parents weren't doing a very good job of not doing that. Plus adult alpha men probably terrified him. 

They nodded and Newt and I made a quick retreat, my arm still around his waist. He stayed pressed against me even when I'd closed the door to my room. 

"Shh, it's alright. It's alright, Newt." I pulled him into a proper hug, rocking from side to side. I rested my chin on top of his head. He was still trembling. "Don't be scared, little one. We won't hurt you." 

He let out a shaky breath. "I'm sorry, I just...I'm not used to any of this. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, little one. I understand. You're safe here. Come on." I gently guided him to the bed and cuddled him for a while, not caring that his wet hair was dampening my pillow. 

It took a while for him to calm down, but when he did he smiled at me, a real genuine smile. It was beautiful, even if it emphasized the cuts on his face that now needed to be re-bandaged. I took him into the bathroom and dug out the bandaids and Neosporin.

"We should do some homework. Anything you want help with?" I asked as I carefully put them on. 

He looked surprised. "You'd really help me?"

"Of course I would. I'm here to take care of you, remember? You've got enough on your mind. You don't need added stress from school. If there's anything I can do to help, just let me know."

"Thank you. That means a lot to me."

I turned my phone off to stop the notifications constantly pinging. I'd talk to people later. Right now I was spending some valuable bonding time with my omega. We worked together for a long time, Newt helping me with math and me helping him with French. It was a perfect trade. When we'd finished up our immediate assignments, I decided now would be a good time for some bonding time. 

"Hungry?" I asked him. 

"A little," he admitted. 

"Why don't we go downstairs and raid the pantry? I'm sure we'll find something edible."

He smiled. "Okay."

I found myself standing behind him with my hands on his waist as we scanned the shelves of the pantry. He didn't seem to mind, in fact, I could've sworn he was leaning back towards me. We settled on trail mix and I grabbed some bottled water from the fridge before we went back upstairs. I could hear my parents talking in the living room, but chose to ignore them. Right now I was spending time with my omega. 

I picked up my laptop and opened Netflix. I grinned with a sudden idea.

"Anything you wanna watch on Newtflix?" 

He looked confused for a second and then blushed. My heart melted. He was so cute. I'd never noticed before, but now that I looked at him, he really was adorable. The combination of blond hair and brown eyes was itself attractive, and his pretty pink lips and slender little figure were equally lovely. And speaking of his hair, it was so many shades of gorgeous and soft I couldn't begin to describe it. Plus he made so many cute little expressions. I stopped my mental gushing when he said,

"I don't know. What would you like to watch?"

"I don't know either. Let's pick something together."

We decided on some harmless British comedy, which seemed to delight him, and I soon discovered he had the cutest giggle. It was infectious and we ended up with stitches in our sides by the end of the movie. When it was over he lay his head on my chest as we fell back onto the bed and hummed, happy little smile crinkling the corners of his eyes. 

"We ate all the trail mix," I said. 

"You mean _I_ ate all the trail mix," he said with another giggle. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize, we can always get more. It must be nearly suppertime."

"Yeah." He snuggled closer to me. I put my arms around him. 

"Hungry?"

"Starving."

"Do you want to go out for dinner?"

He looked up at me with wide eyes. "Really?"

I nodded.

"I'd love to." He had an expression of childlike awe.

"Where would you like to go?"

"Anywhere. I'm in the mood for anything right now."

"Chinese alright?"

He grinned. "Perfect." Then the grin faded. "Will...I mean..." He gestured at the bandages and fading bruises. 

"It'll be fine, sweetie."

He blushed. 

I got up and rummaged through my closet, picking out a coat that was a bit too small for me. I tossed it to him. "It's warm, but it'll probably be too big."

"Not for long." 

I looked back at him, hand on his stomach. I remembered suddenly why he was here and felt a warm feeling inside. I was going to be a dad. 

"Boy or girl, do you hope?"

He smiled, a little smile with his eyebrows slightly raised that made my heart skip a beat. "I don't know. I'd be happy either way. I've always wanted children."

I smiled in return. "Me too. I'd kinda like a girl, but I'd be happy either way, too."

His smile grew as pulled the coat on. It was big, but in a cute way. He hummed. "It smells like you."

"Oh?"

"Mm-hm. It's nice." 

"Well, that's good. I'd hate for it not to be."

"Do you know about alpha and omega scent perception?"

I shook my head, getting the door for him.

"When an alpha or omega is attracted to the opposite gender, they perceive the individual alpha or omega's scent as one they find pleasant. If they aren't attracted to them, their scent is mostly neutral."

I thought for a few moments. "What about during heats?"

"Alphas are always attracted to omegas in heat, of course, but if the attraction goes beyond the heat then they perceive the scent the way they would at any other time." 

"Hm. Interesting." 

"If they aren't truly attracted to the omega I'm told the scent of a heat is sort of sugary, but without a real flavor to it."

"Hm." So, if I smelled white chocolate, my absolute favorite smell, did that mean I had feelings for him that I didn't realize, or what? "Can I try something?" 

He stopped at the foot of the stairs and looked confused. "Sure..."

I stepped in close and nuzzled at his neck, scenting him. He gasped and tilted his head to give me better access. White chocolate. I pulled back, a little startled. I mean, sure he was cute, but did I really _like_ like him? He looked nervous. 

"So..." he trailed off.

"Now you scent me," I said.

He timidly stepped up to me and leaned up, nose gently brushing the crook of my neck. It made me feel amazing. Not sexual pleasure, really, just a really warm, happy feeling. When he pulled back I was almost sad.

"Well?" I asked, suddenly nervous. 

"Cinnamon." 

My eyebrows shot up. Cinnamon was supposedly considered a very arousing scent. I wondered if his pregnancy could be affecting this. 

"What about me?" he asked, biting his lip.

"White chocolate." 

He smiled softly. "Oh." 

"Yeah. Um. We should...we should go now." 

He nodded, but still smiled for ages.

We sat down in the Chinese restaurant, him across from me with the cutest little smile. We ordered a pot of green tea by mutual decision. I made a mental note when he said he loved tea, in all its many blends. 

We just sat for a little while, gazing at each other, before going to the buffet. We both went straight for the sweet and sour chicken. I chuckled. We went back to our seats with full plates.

"Thank you for bringing me here, Tommy."

"It's perfectly alright."

"I still appreciate it, though. I haven't eaten a proper meal in a couple months. I mean, I've eaten, but not a decent meal. And the past couple weeks have been awful. I know I need to eat, but I feel like I can't. I'm doing my best. I know I need to research pregnancy and see what I ought to be eating and all that. I'm not very well informed on the subject."

"I'll do some reading, too. I'll need to know how to take care of you. How did you know you were pregnant?"

"I don't really know. It just felt different, and I could remember just a little bit of that night at the party. I sort of pieced the two together. I should probably see a doctor, but I can't afford it. Little Freshman like me with a father who'd honestly rather I didn't exist. I've been saving what money I have made over the years, but it's not enough for an appointment, let alone funding for a whole pregnancy and birth. I don't know what to do."

"You can stop worrying, for starters. We'll pay for all that. I could myself if my parents wouldn't. My parents have invested quite a bit of money in my name. All I have to do is sell the stock and I've got plenty of money for us. And I can get a job if necessary. You don't have to worry about a thing."

"I feel terrible about it though. I don't want you to spend all your money on me. I don't deserve it."

"Yes you do. You're my--"

"--I'm not your bondmate, Tommy. You don't owe me anything. I'm surprised you brought me here for dinner. I'm surprised you're letting me live with you. The most I expected from you was to acknowledge you were the father and to check in with me every now and then. I just wanted you to know you had a kid."

I was shocked. "How could I do that, after seeing what your father did to you? What he's been doing all year? We may not have spoken before, but I've noticed you. I don't know why I didn't say anything before, offered to help you or something. What sort of alpha would I be if I let you go home to be beaten every night, knowing you were pregnant with my child?"

He looked at me with sudden clarity. "You're protecting the baby, then." 

"No, you beautiful little fool. I'm protecting _you._ We may not be bonded, but you're pregnant with my child and that's good enough for me. I'm responsible for you now, and I don't mind it one bit. It's not any kind of burden. I'm glad I can help you. I want to."

He set his fork down and just looked at me for a minute. "Why? Why is that 'good enough for you'? What do you mean?"

"I mean that we have a connection because you're pregnant and that connection is just as important to me as a bond. I'm here to provide for and protect you. You're special to me."

"You've known me the whole of today."

"No, I've spoken to you the whole of today. I tried yesterday to tell you I'd look after you, but you ran off. I've thought about you all week, and I certainly noticed you before that. We don't _know_ each other, exactly, but I still care what happens to you."

"I don't understand. To paraphrase your mother, I'm a slut from the dregs of society. Why do you care?"

I felt guilty suddenly. He had heard that? I hadn't wanted him to. "Newt, you are not."

"How do you know?" 

"Because I don't think you're that kind of person. Your behavior at school would be different."

"So based on my behavior at school you've made a mental picture of me?"

"Newt, tell me honestly. I was your first, wasn't I?" I knew enough about slutty omegas at school to tell he wasn't one.

He sighed and nodded. 

"You were mine, too," I admitted.

He looked surprised. "Really?"

I nodded. 

He suppressed a smile. "Oh."

"Why are you smiling?"

"I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"Well, I thought....I thought you and that girl with the black hair were...a thing." 

"Teresa? Absolutely not! She's my cousin." 

He blushed. "Oh." 

"Wait, she left school a month ago when she moved. You've been watching me."

"You've been watching me," he countered. 

"True, but why?"

His blush intensified to a beautiful rosy pink and he looked anywhere but me, chewing his lip. "For quite a while now I've...had a..." He huffed out a breath and said in a rush, "I've had a crush on you for a long time now."

I could feel my own skin heat up. "Oh." 

"Don't let that affect any of this, though. Just forget I said that." 

"Li--"

"--And that didn't have anything to do with me getting pregnant. I didn't...this wasn't intentional. I was in heat, honestly. I had no real idea what I was doing. I barely registered that it was you." His eyes were wide and he looked almost panicked. 

I placed a hand over his. "Breathe, little one. I know. It's fine. Believe me, it's alright. If you have a crush on me, that might actually make things easier. You aren't scared of me and want to spend time with me, so there's less for me to worry about. I don't have to patiently wait for you to trust me, which could take months, while still trying to take care of you."

He calmed down a bit. "I see what you mean."

"Now, we've proved one of your points wrong. And I don't think you're from the 'dregs of society' as you put it. You're in school, and I'll bet you make pretty good grades, too. You couldn't help me with math if you didn't." 

He looked sad. "Do you know that neighborhood east of school with all the duplexes?" 

I did. There was trash in everyone's yards and cars parked in the street, dogs running loose, no one mowed their yard. It was considered a spooky neighborhood that was quite possibly home to a few gangs and drug dealers. 

"Yeah." I knew what he was going to say next and I was glad I'd gotten him out of there. Who knows what would happen to a pregnant teenage omega, who was in fact attractive, in that neighborhood.

"That's where I live. My father is an alcoholic, doesn't work, and takes it all out on me. He can barely afford to pay the utilities, let alone keep me in school. I mowed yards all summer last year and this year to save up enough that maybe I could get through Freshman year. There's no way I can raise enough for Sophomore year in time. Not even if I shovel snow all winter, babysit, and housekeep. And all that would be on top of homework and being pregnant." 

My poor little angel. He still didn't understand. "You don't have to worry, Newt. We'll get you through school and on to college if you want. Just because you come from an unfortunate neighborhood doesn't mean that you aren't worth my time and attention. In fact, the fact that you've done so much to get ahead of that makes you special. I'll pay whatever it takes you get you a P.h.D. if that's what you want."

"I--Tommy, I don't know what to say." He looked like he might cry. 

"Hey, c'mere." I scooted my chair back and he came around to sit in my lap. I cuddled him for a moment, petting his soft, fluffy blond hair. He took several deep breaths before pulling away a little to wipe away the tears.

"I'm sorry. My emotions are all out of whack." 

I smiled at his phrasing. "I know, it's fine. I'm here if you need a hug or a shoulder to cry on, whatever you need." 

"That's another thing. How far are you willing to go for this?"

"What do you mean?"

"During pregnancy, omegas sex drives are increased. It helps reassure them of the bond or whatever. We aren't bonded, but I may find myself in the same situation. I don't know."

"Well, we've already...so I don't suppose it should be a problem. If you need that, I'll be there for you."

"Yes, we've already had sex, but neither of us remember. What if..."

"What?"

His got quiet and looked down. "What if you realize you don't want me?"

"You mean that I'd leave you?"

He nodded.

"I wouldn't. This relationship isn't about how good the sex is, precious. I'm not going to leave you."

He purred in apparent relief, but instead of snuggling close like he clearly wanted to he got off my lap and went back to his seat. 

"I'm also going to be grumpy, sick in the mornings, and have weird mood swings. My emotions are already all over the place. I'll be tired all the time. You'll have a lot to put up with."

"I don't mind. I'm not going to leave you."

When we left, he took my hand and smiled at me. I loved the way his hand fit in mine. He was so little. I held his hand across the console of the car, too. My mom was vaccuming the hallway when we came in, and I hurried Newt upstairs. I didn't want to hear a word, still furious with her.

"We've got a few guest bedrooms if you want your own room, but you're welcome to stay with me. Whatever you'd rather."

"Is that okay?"

"Of course." 

He smiled at me. I rummaged through my chest of drawers and pulled out two pairs of sweatpants and two comfortable T-shirts. I held some out to Newt. "This okay?"

"Yeah, perfect," he said. 

I let him have the bathroom first and changed quickly before making new Notepad file on my laptop. I made a list of things I needed to buy Newt tomorrow. Mostly clothes, but also notebooks, pencils, etc., toiletries, probably a laptop, and whatever food he was fond of.

We lay down, Newt as far on the other side of the bed as he could be. "Is this okay?" he asked nervously.

"Whatever makes you comfortable, little one."

He scooted closer, till our shoulders touched. "This okay?"

"You do whatever's going to make you feel safe and comfortable. I don't mind."

He cautiously moved closer, very hesitantly putting his head on my shoulder. I put my arm around him. He gradually relaxed and put his little hand on my chest, right over my heart, with a happy hum. I smiled. He was so cute.

"Good night, little one."

"Good night, Tommy."

When I woke up with the scent of white chocolate all around me and a pleasant weight on top of me, I smiled. Newt had shifted during the night and was now practically on top of me. His legs were tangled with mine and his upper body lay across my torso so that his head was on my other shoulder. His soft, warm breath tickled my neck. My arms were wrapped around his tiny waist and my head was leaned against his. I wanted to wake up like this every day. I couldn't deny the fact that I'd always wanted a family. People to look after and love, who also loved me. 

Newt took a deep breath and let it out in a long "Mmmmm" while nuzzling me. I closed my eyes, again experiencing that warm feeling. Finally, he sat up a bit. I smiled at his completely mussed hair and sleep-confused frown. 

"Morning, lovely," I said. 

He blinked a few times before replying, "Mornin' Tommy."

"Sleep well?"

"Mm-hm. Sorry I'm crushing you." He shifted and I felt suddenly cold.

"You weren't. I don't think a little thing like you could."

"I can't help being little," he said, almost defensively. "You don't have to rub it in."

"I didn't mean it like that. Little is cute." I stood up as he did. "Little means I can completely cocoon you in my arms, like this." I hugged him. "I can even rest my head on your chin." I did so. "Tell me this doesn't make you feel safe."

He didn't reply, but the way he hugged me back and pressed closer was good enough.

"Little is cute, and it's not something to be upset about." 

"Thanks, Tommy." 

"Now, happily, today is Saturday, so we--"

"--It's Friday." 

"No, yesterday was Friday."

"Check your phone. It's Friday." 

I did, and it was. "Thank goodness I have you. I would've been late to school or not shown up at all. And what do you bet, we actually have time to get ready to go." 

"Do you not put alarms on?" he said.

I checked the alarm clock. "Yeah, it was supposed to go off ten minutes ago, but apparently it either didn't, or we slept through it." 

"Oh."

"Do you want to shower or anything?" 

"No, I took one yesterday, remember?" 

"Oh, right. Well, I need to real quick and we can grab breakfast before we go." 

"Okay." 

I quickly opened my latop and pulled up the Notepad. "Add anything you want to that and I'll print it off when I get out. I think we'll take my car to school instead of the bus and then we can go shopping right after."

"Tommy--"

"--Newt. It's fine." 

He hugged me again. "Thank you." 

"You're welcome, little one."

I was as quick as I could be in the shower and dressed equally quickly. I wanted to make sure Newt got enough to eat before we left and I knew he wouldn't leave my room unless it was with me. 

When I came out he was wearing the same clothes he'd worn yesterday, plus my coat. I couldn't help the smile. 

"I was cold," he said, biting his lip.

"It's fine, little one. You can keep it if you want."

"Thanks." 

"Think of anything?" I asked, leaning over his shoulder to look at the list. 

He'd added library card, but that was all.

"I think that should be all. If it's not too much trouble."

"Of course not."

"I'm worried about something, though."

"What is it?" 

He turned to look at me. "I'm not your bondmate. Technically, my father can demand me back and there would be nothing I could do."

"So we make the first move and take him to court on charges of abuse. I'm pretty sure I can get legal guardianship of you."

"Tommy, I can't ask you to get involved in a court case over me."

"Then don't ask. I'm still going to. I will never let anyone get away with hurting you. Not your father, not those alphas at school, nobody. Hurting you is not okay." 

"But court?"

"He deserves to be punished for what he did to you. It's been going on since you started school, Newt."

He said in a hushed tone, "Before that, Tommy. Years." 

His eyes were clouded and I realized there was a possibility of something horrible. "Newt, what all has he done to you? You can tell me, you know you can." 

"He hits me, kicks me, yells insults, tears up my homework, sometimes textbooks, sometimes there's a belt or a bottle involved." He said all of this in a rush, as if saying it slowly were something he didn't dare to do. "I'm scared to death that I'll have to go back to that. I don't want to. I want to stay with you. You're sweet and gentle and you'd never hurt me. I trust you. But I _know_ he'd just as soon beat me as look at me. I thought he was going to kill me last time."

I cuddled him. "It's okay. I'm here. I'll keep you safe. It's alright. I'm here." 

He clutched my shirt and sobbed heavily into my shoulder.

"You never have to go back there, precious. I promise. He can't hurt you anymore. You can stay with me, always." 

Eventually he stopped crying. "I'm sorry. We're going to be late, aren't we?" 

"No. We're not going to school today. Today is all about you. I'm going to take you to the doctor, we'll visit the family lawyer, go shopping, maybe we'll have hot chocolate in the park."

"Tommy--" 

"--Newt." 

"Tomorrow is Saturday. It's just one more day. I'll be fine until then, but we need to get to school. I've got to get my grades back up if I ever want to get into college." 

"Are you sure?"

He nodded. "I'm going to take those antibiotics and brush my teeth and I'll be ready." 

"Be careful, don't reopen any cuts. I'll be downstairs."

"Okay." 

I printed off the list and grabbed my wallet and phone, as well as my school backpack and Newt's khaki knapsack, and hurried to put them in the car. By my estimation we'd be fifteen minutes late to our first class. 

Newt came out moments after I'd finished loading them, raking fingers through his still mussed up hair. "Tommy, why didn't you tell me it was like this?" he whined. 

"It's cute, don't worry about it." 

"It's a bedhead, Tommy, not cute." 

"I think it's cute." 

"Well, stop thinking and drive. If we take the shortcut and go down Finch Avenue, then we won't be as late." 

I turned down Finch Ave. curious as to this route. We came out onto Rolling Hills. "Which way now?"

"Left." 

He gave me directions and we got there almost on time. "How did you know that?" 

"I'm good with maps." 

I looked over at him for the first time since we'd left. He had a map up on my phone. He handed it to me with a grin. 

"You little monkey. How'd you sneak that?" I asked. 

"I didn't sneak it. You left it in the cupholder." 

"Oh. Well, come on." 

I made sure he had everything he needed before remembering he hadn't eaten. I fished my emergency granola bars out of my backpack. "Here, it's not much, but it's something. I'm sorry I forgot breakfast, little one."

"It's fine, Tommy. To be honest I don't know if I could've eaten earlier. Thank you." 

"You're welcome." I gave him a quick hug before jogging to class. 

"Where have you been, slinthead? You disappeared after school yesterday, you don't answer my texts, and now you show up reeking of omega. Don't tell me--you got laid. Who was it?"

"Slim it, Minho."

"Oh come on, tell me." 

"I didn't get laid you dirty minded shank. I'm not talking about it." 

"Why not? What happened?"

I didn't dignify the questions that blatantly ignored what I'd just said with answers. I paid closer attention in that class than I had in ages, except for the fact that I kept wondering how Newt was. I was out the door and looking for him as soon as the bell rang.

He was standing not far away with a happy smile. "Hey, Tommy." 

"You doing alright?"

"I'm fine. My next class is French. I think I'll manage today, thanks to you." 

I smiled. "Well, thank you for your help with math. That's my next class. I--"

"--Thomas, quit denying you got laid last night. I can smell them all over you. Who was it?" 

Newt's eyebrows raised and I looked at him hopelessly before steering Minho in the other direction. Hopefully he hadn't seen the glance. 

"I didn't get laid. I have already told you that I'm not talking about it. Not till Monday."

"Why? What's so special about Monday?"

"Slim it! I'll tell you on shucking Monday!"


	2. Befriending

I dodged Minho's questions, innuendos, and remarks for the rest of the school day, trying to spot Newt in the hallways between classes. When I caught sight of him, he gave me reassuring smiles. They eased some of the incredible tension I was feeling. He sat at a different table at lunch, by himself, but when I gestured for him to join me, he shook his head. I offered to come over there, but he shook his head again. He did give me a little smile, though. I understood. He didn't want to draw a whole lot of attention to us yet. I knew that he didn't fully trust me yet, and that he kind of expected me to leave him at any given moment. I'd just have to prove the little darling wrong. Hopefully my plans tonight would help with that.

All my thoughts were drawn to Newt. In every class I kept thinking about him, worrying about him. Hoping nobody was hurting him, and then getting mad at the mere thought of it. Ben kept giving me weird looks whenever I popped my knuckles and took a few deep breaths to calm down. I couldn't help feeling protective of him. I mean, once you spent a little time with him and realized how precious he was, how could you not want to look after him? I really wanted to find Alby and teach him a lesson. What sort of bastard would abandon their pregnant friend? Especially when they knew they were said friend's _only friend_? I thought back guiltily to when I'd initially turned him away.

Eventually, _finally_ , school was over and I met Newt in the hall. He looked stressed, but a hug and a "missed you" seemed to make it all better. We went to the principal to see about switching his classes around so that we'd be in the same classes. That took a little while, but we got it sorted out. It was a load off my mind. I'd be able to see Newt and know he was safe, and then I'd be able to concentrate again. I needed to. I had a family to support now, and even if I probably had enough money to last us half our lives without working, I wanted to be able to give our child a good education, money when they got older, not to mention an inheritance, vacations, etc. Plus I wanted to pamper my omega as much as he'd let me.

Newt smiled as we held hands as we made our way to the exit nearest where I'd parked my car. Of course Minho, Ben, Winston, _and_ Zart were all blocking it. 

"I told you!" Minho practically crowed. "Thomas, what the shuck are you doing with that loser omega bitch?" 

I growled, ready to pounce on him and beat his brains out if he said that again. Newt was slowly inching away, tensely, as if he were going to make a run for it at any second. I squeezed his hand. He moved a little closer to me, but slightly behind me, instinctually trusting me to protect him. 

"Minho, let us through," I growled.

"Why didn't you tell us? Huh? You go and get you some sort of secret lay and you don't tell your best friends about it?" He scoffed, crossing his arms. Zart and Winston mirrored his action, but Ben looked a little uncomfortable and hung back.

"Minho, get the shuck out of our way!" I said, firmly but without yelling.

"Dude, seriously?" He stepped forward, not threateningly, just curiously. 

Newt pressed his side against me and trembled. Poor little darling Newt. I was beginning to get very seriously furious at these shanks. No one was supposed to upset Newt. If they did, they'd answer to me. And they were about to if they didn't back off, like, _right now._

Zart stopped and frowned. "Wait..."

Minho did, too, and laughed. "Dude?! You got him shucking knocked up? You refused _Brenda_ and then you hook up with this bitch? Seriously?" 

That did it. I punched Minho in the face, hard. Maybe even broke his nose. He howled in a very manly alpha-like way. 

"Let. Us. Through." My voice rumbled, as low and authoritative as it would go.

They parted like the Red Sea and I hurried Newt to the car, shaking my wrist out. Damn that had _hurt._ I just hoped it hurt Minho more. I was almost sure I could handle any amount pain if it meant people left my omega alone. We drove to the park in silence. I turned on the air conditioning and we just sat there. I really needed to calm down before I scared him. Newt gently took my hand and inspected it carefully. 

"Does it hurt?" he asked, barely above a whisper. All my residual anger melted away.

"Just a little." 

"You didn't have to do that, Tommy. They were just--"

"--Newt, they were scaring you. You think I can't tell you're scared when you're literally shaking and pressed up against me for comfort? I had to get you out of that situation before it escalated and the only way to do that was to get Minho out of the way. And as much of a tough guy act as he puts on, he's not _that_ tough, as you saw. They said horrible, horrible things that no one is allowed to say to you. I've given them a warning by possibly breaking his nose. I'll call or text him over the weekend to explain our situation, if that's okay with you, and if they refuse to respect you in the future, I don't need them as friends. I don't want to associate with people who disrespect omegas just for the fun of it."

"Tommy," he said, tearing up. "I don't want to be the cause of you loosing your friends, and your reputation. Maybe...maybe I should just go home. You should just forget about me."

"Absolutely not. I don't give a damn about my reputation. It's not even that great, honestly. And like I said, if my friends don't accept you then I don't need them. You're more important than them anyway."

I reached over and caressed his cheek, mindful of the healing cuts. He leaned into the touch even as he protested tearfully, 

"You're on the track team. You have friends. You're popular. I know of at least four omegas who are very interested in you. You deserve better than me. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for this. I'm sorry your firstborn is out of bond-lock and that his or her omega parent is as frightfully unworthy a mate as I am. I'm sorry, Tommy."

My heart broke. "Newt, stop. Just stop right there, you poor, sweet hearted little creature." 

He turned his head away from me and blinked away a few more tears. 

"Do you want to know what I see when I look at you?" I asked gently. He didn't respond, but I continued anyway. "I see a very brave, very smart, and oh so strong omega I would be proud to say was my mate. I'd be proud to hold your hand everywhere we went so that everyone around us knew you were mine. I already never want to let you out of my sight. I'd protect you and provide for you. I'd make absolutely sure that you knew you were loved. And I know you're about to say that you aren't my mate. But that doesn't matter to me, at all. I'm still proud that you are the other parent of our child. I'm still proud to say that I'm looking after you. I'm still going to take just as good care of you as I would if we _were_ mates. You're as good as my mate in my mind." 

He shook his head. "You're still too good for me. Much too good for me. And I don't understand why you care when no one else does. My only friend called me a slutty omega bitch and left me. I didn't do anything to him. I took advantage of you in a compromised state and you're the one looking after me. This whole situation is so messed up. I don't deserve you."

"Alby said that to you?" 

He nodded, wiping tears away. Now I really _was_ going to teach him a lesson.

"Look at me" He did, a little fearfully. "No one--I repeat--no one is allowed to say anything like that to you. If they do, you tell me. Understand?" 

"I don't want you getting hurt over me." 

"I won't get hurt. But I will hurt anyone who hurts you. And saying things like that hurt you. I know they do."

Not for the first time, I cursed myself for not sticking up for him sooner. Newt had never done anything to anybody. He was just little, shy, and abused at home. So they pounced on him, like predators target the weakest animals of a herd. And they chewed him up and laughed at him. I could only imagine how much damage they'd really done to Newt. The awfulness of the students combined with his horrible father must have hurt him so badly, so deeply. He needed someone kind in his life. Someone he could trust. Someone who would protect him from the remarks, insults, and violence he experienced at school and at home. Someone he could confide in, a shoulder to cry on. And I was going to be that person. I owed it to him. Both because I was the father of his child and because I liked to think of myself as a decent human being. 

"And what's this about taking advantage of me? You mean that you used your heat to seduce me? We both know that's not true, Newt. We were both drunk off our faces. And you were the one in heat. The one in a compromised state. If anything _I_ took advantage of _you_ , little angel." I sighed heavily. "Look, I'm sorry we've caused ourselves so much stress by getting into this situation, but I don't regret it and we need to stop blaming ourselves and thinking that we don't deserve each other and accept the facts. You're pregnant, I'm the father, and we're going to live together at least until the baby is born. We'll talk about it more another time, maybe even later tonight. I'm not letting anyone hurt you, which includes your father and anyone at school. Okay, little one?" 

"What about your parents?" He spoke so softly, almost defeatedly. "We already know they don't like me."

"My parents can go--" I stopped myself. There wasn't a need to swear around my omega, who was sensitive to the words, I was sure. "My parents don't matter. I'm not letting them hurt you, either. If they don't come around within a week, we're leaving. Okay?" 

"I--" 

"And don't feel like you're splitting my family up. We've never been on good terms. This is their make or break moment. I won't feel any remorse leaving if they don't treat you well." 

"I...I'm very lucky to have you, even if I don't think I deserve you. I'm glad you're here, Tommy."

He squeezed my hand and gave me a watery smile. I brushed his tears away as carefully as I could and drove to Braum's. We both needed a little ice cream. 

"Tommy, you shouldn't've," he said when I parked. He looked at me as if I'd grown angel wings and was sporting a halo. 

"My treat. Come on." 

I held his hand as we started towards the counter. He grinned ear to ear and I realized I'd made a good decision bringing him here.

"What do want? Pick anything, it's fine. Promise." I smiled at him. He frowned in thought.

"I...I don't know. What are you having?"

"Single dip candy bar sundae with M&Ms. It's what I always have." I flashed him a smile.

"That sounds good..." he trailed off and looked a little wistful. 

I stopped him, tilting his chin to look at me. 

"Do you want one, sweetie?" 

He blushed and nodded. A tiny, barely noticable nod. 

"Then you can have one. It's why we're here, little one. There's no need to feel guilty or like you can't have something. Providing for you, remember? That's fulfilling your wants and needs, and if one of your wants is a sundae, so be it."

He smiled sadly. "It's just that I realized I haven't had ice cream since Mum died." 

My heart sank, and my expression must've, too. I hadn't meant to churn up sad memories. I just wanted to do something nice for my omega. 

"No, no, Tommy! It's fine. Really, it's fine. I didn't mean it like that. I just haven't thought about her in a long time. Which sounded terrible. I didn't mean that like that either." He squeezed his eyes shut. "I really need to shut up, don't I?" 

I chuckled. "You're so cute." 

He blushed and was quiet for a few seconds. "Well, that shut me up," he mumbled.

I couldn't stop the huge grin. "Come on. Let's get you a sundae." I slung an arm around him and he purred for a few seconds before stopping himself. 

"Bloody hormones," he grumbled to himself. 

He was too cute for this world, really.

*******

 

We sat down at a booth with our ice cream. Tommy grinned at me and reached over to ruffle my hair. I blushed. Tommy was an extraordinary alpha. He actually bloody _cared_ about my welfare. I still wondered if he was just looking out for the baby, and sort of expected to be kicked out once the child had been born. I wondered if I'd get to hold them first. 

I shook off the dark thoughts and enjoyed the hot fudge and crushed M&Ms. Yum _my_. I made a little sound in my throat it was so good. That was _not_ going to happen again. I wasn't going to degrade myself to the point of making lascivious noises over ice cream. 

"Do you want to get some to take home? Or some frozen yogurt? Or both? Both sounds good, actually," Tommy said. I loved his voice. It was safe and kind. 

He was safe. I felt safe with him. Even though I wondered about how this would play out, I knew he wasn't going to physically hurt me. He'd been so tender after he'd taken me at the party. I had told him that I remembered a little, but I hadn't given him any details. 

Tommy had kissed away the pain of the knot and caressed my cheeks. I'd held him tightly, drinking in his cinnamon roll scent. I'd told him a basic "cinnamon" when he asked, but it was really more like the cinnamon rolls from the little bakery we'd frequented in London. It made me want to curl up in front of a fire with a cup of tea with him and sleep my cares away. Sadly, life wasn't so kind. When the knot had finally allowed him to slip out, he'd done so gently, with a deep, distracting kiss. I'd still been so incredibly sensitive and vulnerable, mentally and emotionally, and he'd known that and taken care of me. He'd laid beside me for a few minutes, threading fingers through my hair and whispering little endearments to me before he deemed my in control of myself and left with a little smile. 

He used the same endearments now. Little one and sweetie. It was a beautiful feeling, being cared about. Even if he made a bit of a show of it, it was still nice to be called a pet name and cuddled. I hadn't been cuddled in forever.

The emotional side of me really wanted to change seats so that I was next to Tommy and snuggle into his side. I didn't, though, just smiled and nodded my agreement to his suggestion. We barely knew each other. He was already showing me enough kindness. I'd wait until we knew each other better to publicly cuddle with him. So we ate our sundaes on opposite sides of the booth and talked a little bit. 

His cinnamony scent was mildly distracting, as always, but in a good way. It was a subtle reminder that the alpha parent of my child was one I cared about, one I could trust. My heart fluttered whenever I thought about his admission that I smelled of white chocolate to him. He felt some sort of attraction to me, then. Half of me longed for it to be enough to keep us together, and the other half of me told me not to dream so outrageously. But even that half of me couldn't deny that it would be nice to have Tommy as my alpha.

When we'd finished, Tommy had me pick out the ice cream and frozen yogurt, despite me trying to tell him I didn't have a preference and to get what he wanted. Then he got two of each and grinned at me. 

He hugged me while the cashier rang us up. I hugged back, enjoying the contact and internally purring. I felt so safe wrapped up in his arms, surrounded by his scent with my cheek against his well-muscled chest. It was a good feeling, one I only associated with Tommy. 

Protection. Warmth. Safety. And maybe one day, _home._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Yeah, I know it's been a while. Life is hectic. Hopefully I'll be able to post more often now. Minho really is a jerk right now, but we'll see if he changes or not. :)


	3. Interest Check

It's been ages since I updated this story and before I try to set time aside to continue it, I want to make sure there's interest in it. I'm homeschooled year round (kinda have to be to keep our flexible schedule) and I'm trying to turn a new leaf this month and take control of my life. (There are some issues I have with myself I'm trying to sort out). This means that my fanfics have special time set aside. I have no idea why I posted this in such a hurry. I have no idea what is supposed to happen here, while I'm pretty sure of my others. So, I will be discontinuing this *unless* there are people out here who really want me to continue with it. If so, it will still probably be sometime in July that I update.

So, if, within one week starting June 1st, get 15 comments asking me to continue, I will, but it will be a little while. If not, I'll leave this as is and possibly return to it someday. Thank you for your time!


	4. Chapter 4

Well, well, well. It's nearly July, I've finished two of the four stories I've been working on this year, and I still have no ideas for this one. I'm terribly sorry if you thought this was an update. I said in the last Author's Note that I would be continuing this if there was definite interest in it. I just have no creative ideas for this and we may be moving next month. It depends on if my dad gets the new job he applied for. If he does, life's gonna be kinda hectic for a while. And our internet service won't be nearly as good. So! I may not update this for a long, long time. If anyone else would like to take over this story and go from here, feel free! I have no idea when I'll return to this. 

My other WIP is Glade House, which I have pretty much planned out, it just needs to be written. So it will be the focus of my attention for the time being. If I'm suddenly inspired, I'll come back to this and work on it, but I can't say when that will be. I'm also trying to write a sci fi novel that I want to finish by the end of the year. And catch up on Freshman year of high school because this year has been horrible and I'm really, really behind on my schoolwork.

So, summary: I have no ideas for this story and I have no idea when I'll work on this again due to the lack of inspiration, and life in general. :/ Sorry, guys. I really hate to let you down. I will try to come back and finish this sometime, I just...agh. I'll try, I promise, but I can't make promises on when the next chapter will be.

All the best,

HollowHearted

**Author's Note:**

> I had this little idea and thought, "That needs to be written!" So instead of working on my real life novel, I decided to write more Newtmas fanfiction. I have over twice as many words in fanfics as in my novel. I need to sort out my priorities.


End file.
